Holly Willoughby has teased she has an exciting new project in the works, as speculation mounts that she could be a new host of Strictly Come Dancing. The former This Morning and Dancing on Ice presenter took to Instagram on Monday (11 May) to share that she’d just been in a meeting about a new project.
Posting a smiling photo of herself on a London Lime Bike, Holly wrote: “Found a patch of sun in between the rain… good old London weather!
“Just had a brilliant meeting about a project I’m really excited about… things are happening at quite the pace! Can’t wait to bring it life and share it with you.”
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Holly’s post caused fans to speculate that she could soon be announced as the new host of Strictly alongside Emma Willis, who was reported to have landed the job earlier this week.
While Holly was heavily speculated to have been a top contender for the role, The Sun reported in February that she was out of contention.
However, a TV insider told Digital Spy: “Holly remains a firm fan favourite for Strictly and is the perfect fit to bring the style and glamour which Tess always exuded, to the show. Together with Emma they could be a presenting force to be reckoned with.”
DS has reached out to the BBC and Holly Willoughby. The BBC said: “Plans for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 will be confirmed in due course.”
Strictly has been on the hunt for new presenters since the departures of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman last year.
The Sun reported on Monday that a deal for Emma Willis to be the new host is almost completed, with the announcement expected to come soon.
Other names that appear to no longer be in the frame are Alex Jones, Rylan Clark, Alison Hammond, Angela Scanlon, though Josh Widdicombe has been tipped.
The Sun reported last week that Widdicombe “blew the producers away,” during his audition and he could become the show’s first male host since Bruce Forsyth.
Channel 4
In January, Alan Carr and Amanda Holden shared that they had been offered the roles but turned them down.
Meanwhile, Zoe Ball revealed on her Dig It podcast with Jo Whiley earlier this week that she was now out of the running and was dealing with feelings of “grief and rejection” after losing out.
“I didn’t get it, but it’s okay,” Ball said. “I have worked through the seven stages of grief and rejection over the last couple of days.”
Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturdays on BBC One, while spin-off Strictly: It Takes Two airs on weeknights on BBC Two. Both shows are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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Stephanie is a freelance news writer, who previously covered WWE and AEW for Digital Spy.
After graduating with a degree in history from Queen Mary University, London, she studied journalism at Birkbeck University.
Outside of her work at Digital Spy, she writes about pop culture, with a special focus towards Irish media and how it intersects with politics.
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